Thomas Kittel

Research Interests: Piers Plowman; The Prick of Conscience; manuscript studies; book history

Doctoral Research: My thesis explores the historical relationship between two of medieval England's most successful literary productions: 'Piers Plowman' and 'The Prick of Conscience'. I am interested in the shared traditions and genres which underpin these two poems, and in their transmission, circulation, and reception as a pair from the late fourteenth to the mid fifteenth century. While 'Piers' has been a major focus in medieval English studies since the field emerged, 'The Prick' has lagged behind. I hope that in investigating the significant but previously overlooked evidence for their joint appeal to medieval readers, I can shed new light on 'Piers' and rehabilitate 'The Prick' in relation to it.